


The Travelers of The Wastelands

by Loggingson



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Death, Gore, Insanity, My First Fanwork, Physical Abuse, Post Brotherhood of Steel Ending, Post Minuteman Ending, Post Railroad Ending, Psychological Torture, Raid Attack, Torture, Violence, not cannon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-10-13 23:59:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10524660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loggingson/pseuds/Loggingson
Summary: The world is already a dark place but we see both the good and bad while following the story of three main characters. Duncan, Kaitlyn and Athia have gone through many trials so read as they go through these trials one by one.





	1. How it Began

    So far I think i’ve had a pretty good life. I have seen the good, the bad and everything in between with them. From my time in the wasteland i’ve learned many thing that i thought i would use but still to this day i use it. I guess i should start with my parents. My father was a watchmen that was highly skilled. He was considered one of the best out there and fell in love with my mother at a young age. I was told she was beautiful and had a kind heart. She was just a simple cheif and tinker. She didn’t know much about fighting but didn’t really fight that many people. I guess my father was drawn in by her kindness at a young age went out with her and had me. Before my birth my father had vanished on one night patrol and my mother had been nearly broken. Once my birth came around she did die and i was the only one that remained of what could have been a happy little family. The main two that looked out for me were Duncan and Kaitlyn or as Duncan calls her Kait. They’re the closest thing i’ve had to parents for as long as i could remember. I know they aren’t parent material due to how young they were. Duncan was only 15 years older and Kaitlyn 14. The thing i remember most about myself back then was being just a sweet innocent  

    It all started in a small settlement in northern California near Honey lake. It was how we got our water. The settlement was separated from the NCR or if you don't know who they are the New Californian Republic or NCR for short. We managed to stay independent for a several generations from them and their taxes and out of the war down south in New Vagus. The settlement was built off an old pre war military airfield. Over the years the settlement grew so did it’s defences and the need for farming so we because self sufficient over time. It didn't take long before we became completely isolated. 

    It’s a dangerous world that we live in. Destroyed by the fires of the war. You would care more about each other more than anything else but one of us didn’t. I didn’t know that it was a thing that was common if they were in it for the money but i learned. One night the gate to our settlement was left open. I was only 11 when it happened and i didn’t understand. If i was older i might have closed it and alerted everyone something was wrong. But i didn’t think anything of it. Back then i didn’t think things through like i do now. I just went back to sleep in the darkness of the night only lit by the candle next to my bed. 

    “Athia! Athia! Wake up we need to leave! Come on kid wake up.” i heard waking me up to the smell of smoke. It didn’t take long before it filled my lungs which made me cough violently. I quickly got out of bed not being able to see the person in front of me. They had grabbed my hand and quickly got me out of the house Duncan and Kaitlyn had got for us. It was a girl who had pulled me out. She had short brown hair and she wore a black hoodie, coated with bits of crimson with jeans and boots. The dark night was lit by the fires of the homes and the air was filled with gunshots under the starry night. The older woman shook  me to get my attention. She looked me dead in the eyes with her steel gray eyes. I realized then who she was.

    “Athia we need to leave okay? Raiders have come and we need to run away before they get us okay?”

    “Okay Kaitlyn.”

    “There you go kid.” She had told to me with despair in her eyes but she forced a smile. I never forgot that face no matter how long it’s been. The face of someone holding onto hope while being broken is hard to wash away We then ran through the fire and gunshots to the gate. In the midst of gunshots a bullet flew and hit her in the leg. She fell to her knees and soon her side holding the wound closed. We were lucky the bullet passed through her or she might have died. But, i froze. Everything froze for me. I didn’t know what to do. It didn’t take long for a raider to spotted me and walked up to me. He was holding a shock collar in one hand and a machete in the other. As he walked up to me he had a devilish grin and his eye made me think i was looking into the Devil himself. I just stood there frozen when he finally got to me. The two different generations of the wasteland just staring at eachother. It took me a while before i started to have control again of my mind. I looked down at Kaitlyn with her in pain and i saw a switchblade next to her as i was pushed to the ground near it. I started to get up and slyly i put my hand over the switch covering it and hiding it as i got up. From there my memory was a bit hazy but i remember stabbing him in the throat. Cutting it open with the knife and stabbing him repeatedly. It took until Kaitlyn had pulled me off of him to stop.  I had apparently not heard her every time she had yelled to stop. From the shadows of outside the town came a man with dark brown hair that looked darker in the darkness. The sides were short off and the top was slid back. The main way how he was even seen was from the cigarette in his mouth. He was wearing mostly black with a black pants, black t-shirt, a dark green satchel that had some things inside, a black gun holster and black boots. He was holding a sniper rifle with a suppressor on it and looking down the scope into our small town. 

    “So how goes it kid? You’re pretty bloody you alright?” he said as he spat out the cigarette on the ground and took the first shot.

    “I’m ok Duncan but we need to get Kaitlyn out of here.” i said as he shot again into the town. With a sigh he put the rifle in it’s holster and put the scope in the bag. 

    “Hey kid could you carry the gun? I’m going to carry Kait here and i don’t want the gun to get in the way.”

    “Oh, okay.” i said as he handed me the large gun with the holster. As i put it on Duncan picked up Kaitlyn and was ready to go. It was then that i had noticed the blood on his clothes in the night.    
    “Why are you so bloody?”

    “For the same reason as you. Except Mayburn was the victim. He was a traitor from the start and left the gates open for them to sneak in and start wrecking the place. He was kick out of his town for the same reason i think.” He said. I was back then amazed it would be him but now i’m not surprised at all. As we walked down the darkened path the light of the town’s blaze grew farther and farther away. Gunshots faded with the flames  That was the day i left home, and never came back.


	2. Current Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of the introduction and the start of the real story.I hope that you're into the story but if you aren't i would like to know your problems in the comments.

    “So if you don’t mind me asking before we continue. Where are Kaitlyn and Duncan now?” I hear the reporter ask me as i drink down some of the now cooled down coffee. It tasted sweet and helped get rid of my dry throat. I then set down the mug and sigh. 

    “They’re busy doing stuff so they sent me here to do the interview with you on a story. What’s your name again?”

    “Piper.”

    “So Piper, why do you really think this story is so interesting? It seems like the hard life of the wastes to me.”

    “I doubt anyone from Diamond City has gone as far as you have and seen even half the things you’ve seen. You went across the U.S. just to see the world. You got to see what it’s like out there and everything it has to offer. You have fought through those dangers and still stand as a group to this day. Plus it’ll be interesting to hear about the world for once outside the Commonwealth” She explains to me. I take another sip of my drink and put it down again. I hear a knock on the door as someone walks into the room. With one look at the bandages on his arms i can already tell who the kid was. It was hard to miss with the stars in his blue eyes and and his messy black hair. 

    “Hey kid what’s up.” with that he looked a bit disappointed in me with my words.

    “It’s  _ Gabe _ not kid. Plus you can’t call me kid forever.”

    “Yeah i know that.” I said as i invited him to sit on the couch with me. He sat down next to me and just looked around.

    “So what brings you here?”

    “I wanted to know, could you could help me with something?”

    “Yeah sure. Sorry Piper but i got things to do we can do this later right?”

    “Oh yeah. Just come by when you have the time or if Kaitlyn or Duncan can come bring them.” The reporter replied as i got up. I shook her hand and walked out the door into the warm heat of summer in the commonwealth. The market was was lively as it usually was here and there was a lot of trading and talking that filled the air. I followed Gabe not going to the market but to the Colonial Taphouse and just outside. I saw the robot butler serving the 1% of Diamond City and i guessed what was going on already.

    “It’s that kid again. What do you want now? You don’t have any cap and you should be begging here.” i heard the bucket of bolts know as Wellingham say. 

    “He has a point now go back down there where you belong you child.” i heard Ann say.

    “Little bitches. I bet they aren’t even that wealthy.” i said under my breath as i then take a breath and get read to speak.

    “I would like to request that you both stop messing with him and leave him be. I don’t care what you think about him just leave him be.”

    “Why? He doesn’t belong up here at all and you don’t even know what’s going on.” i hear Ann say to me. I then take off my bag and pull out a picture of the kid on a wanted poster. The poster reads ‘Lost child named Gabe Johnson. Wanted Alive for 1,000,000 caps’ and hand it to them. They look amazed as i show it to them. 

    “This kid is worth one million caps. I don’t even think you understand how rich he is. He’s considered to be the 1% of the WORLD now. Not just some small city like you. I brought him here because he wanted to come so if you mess with him you mess with me and I've walked the world through raiders, super mutants, and the many insects of the wasteland. Hell I've even killed a deathclaw so back off got it?” Say that as i get back the poster, fold it up and put it back in my bag. They just sit there speechless that this kid was worth that wealthy. A kid wearing nothing but a black Nuka-Cola t-shirt and withered jeans was worth that much. Soon the door behind up opened and someone put their hand on my  shoulder and i quickly pushed it off and spun around with my hand on my gun holster. I looked up at the woman who had a man behind her. I soon realized it was Duncan and Kaitlyn. 

    “Hey chill out Athia. Come with us you too Gabe.” Kaitlyn said and we followed her out of the stands to the allies.

    “What did i say about doing that? You can just go around arguing with people even if it’s for Gabe. Gabe you are meant to keep a low profile so people don’t recognize you and try to take you.” She said to us both angrily. We just nodded our heads and apologized.  _ It seems this’ll just be a normal day. I’m glad i don’t have to fight anyone i’m tired of fighting. _


	3. The Mind Of The Wise

It had been weeks we were walking on that dry dirt road. It was the worst weeks of my life. We had barely any food and water and ran out of supplies quickly. The only way we got more was if we were lucky and some caravan gave pity to us and gave us food and water. The sunlight felt like beams aiming for us all the time. But out of everything it was more amazing that there wasn’t that many creatures on the roads but maybe we were just lucky. The only one of us that knew what they were doing was Duncan. He knew how to hunt and how to live off the land for someone his age. But we weren’t ready for the desert we went through. With every day we slowed down until we ended up stopping in the end. We had one day given up in the hot sands. Eventually we gave up to the sands of the deserts. We passed out one of those weeks and laid there in the sands waiting to die but we were saved by a group of people. The people that found us were a tribe of many different people that had banded together. It originated from a tribe that had survived the fires of the war. The tribe had started to die off so they brought people in to teach them the ways of the tribe and to help other’s to keep the memory of the tribe preserved. In reality they didn’t need to but they did it anyone. Since then they’ve saved lives and helped many get on the right track but there was only one that survived both the fires of the war and all the time that the others have died. He was a prewar ghoul that had kept his sanity through everything. From the loss of his family to the loss of his tribe. He was known as “The Elder”. He was a wise old man but he still had a lot of knowledge in that old mind of his. When it came to fairness he was the best decider. In a fight he could stop it easy with his words alone. In his time for the tribe he has made peace with the faction that have come through. From raiders to the NCR to even the Old Lady Bandits. Through his time he has created peace for any future generation.

    When brought in i was the only one relax and calm. Personally i thought i had died and had been given a new life. It took for me to see Kaitlyn and Duncan before i realized i hadn’t. They were always tense for the first few days we were there. It took a week before they started to calm down. By week two they were party of the community and were finally helping around the little area that was used. Duncan was defense against creatures and there for hunting. Kaitlyn was a farmer and was helping with planting and watering. I was mostly being taught how to cook and live off the land. There was one main rule there and it was that if you helped around in any way you got to eat. All jobs were important no matter how small because in the end you’re helping the community grow. There was always 

something that bugged me while i was there and it was why was i being taught so many   things about survival. It was when i was finally done with my training The Elder wanted to speak to me. When i had enter his tent i had been greeted but many pictures and drawings. The floors were for once smooth and evenly carpeted. I was amazed by it and i hadn’t believed that the tent was so nice. 

    “Ah Athia. Come here and take a seat anywhere you like. I need to inform you of something. But before we start do you want something to drink?”

    “I’m fine really.” I said to him as i walked over to him. I then sat in front of him in his old chair. He wore robes of white and a locket around his neck. Barely visible were many wristbands all handmade on his wrists. 

    “What is it you wanted to talk to me about?”

    “I want you to know that it’s best you keep moving. I have given you and your par- i mean friends a truck to go on your journey. Your journey will not end anytime soon but that’s not  a bad thing. You will see many things ranging from the good to the bad. I know you’ll tell this story to a woman in the east so please try not to make it so boring. No matter what, no matter how much you may hate them don’t leave Kaitlyn and Duncan. If you don’t stray from this path you shall live long and find happiness. Now is there anything you would like to know? I can’t tell to much or it might change something drastically.”

    “I understand. Will i ever come back?”

    “That’s up to you to decide. Now before you go please watch after a kid named Gabe for me will you?” 

     “I understand.”

     “There you go Athia. Now get going, you don’t want to keep them wait.”  He told me last before i walked out and immediately i was then greeted by Duncan as he ran by me and turned around to come back.

    “Athia get your thinks we’re going.”

    “But where?” I said and he stood there taking a moment to think about the question. It took him a good minute before he replied.

    “Anywhere as long as there’s something to do there. We’ll get to see the world and all it has to offer for us. We get to adventure anywhere we want to and it won’t be like last time.”

    “Alright, i’ll grab my stuff. Just give me a moment okay?”

    “Alright just be ready to go kid.” Duncan says to me last as he brushes my hair. He then goes back to the truck and i got to my tent where my stuff is scattered. I grab a duffle bag and started packing up all of my stuff scatter everywhere. Once i grab everything i then walk outside to the bright sunlight again. I made a little grave for the people of my town and put it at the back of the camp. I walked to it and prayed to them. I wanted them to rest peacefully and to not suffer and for them to watch over us. After that i ran over to truck and threw my stuff in the back where Duncan was sitting. 

    “Just get in the front and we’ll get going.” he told me. I opened the front door and slammed it shut to see Kaitlyn next to me. 

    “Buckle up kid. We’re going just hope you’re ready to go because we might not come back.”

    “I am.” i said as i put in the buckle and laid back. In a second the old truck started with a roar. Within seconds the old truck speed off leaving a trail of dust. I looked back and i couldn’t see anything other than Duncan just sitting there watching the dust. Once on the road the dust cleared up allowing me to see someone standing there watching us go off. I could tell if it was man or a women because of the amount of stuff they wore. They were wearing a mask along with i large bag on their back. They started to wave goodbye to us as we drove away from them. It didn’t take long before they became so small it was hard to see them until they were nothing. Once i couldn’t see them i stopped looking through the rear view mirror and focused my attention at the many dunes in the desert and watched them slowly come close then pass us. It was a long ride through that desert but we had each other for company. We always had each other in the end.


	4. The road of a different path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the beginning of the change of a world. To see the through the eyes that not many get to see through and tell the tale.

    The truck was faster than walking like we were doing before trust me and it was i lot cool then trying to walk out in the desert on the hot sand. It also allowed us to carry more stuff but there was one main drawback. It was impossible to hide. The thing was load and it roared as we went down road alerting everything nearby. Sure it could take a good lot of hits but there’s only so much a care like that can take before giving out. We got lucky i guess. The thing survived many raider attack and scavengers trying to scrap it for parts. It was a beast of a machine too. The truck was able to go faster than anything I've ever seen before and when i got to drive it i really got a feel for it. It was amazing to drive and exiting. The adrenaline running through you as you speed down the roads in something that made you feel so powerful. That would have to be one of the greatest times of my life then and i’ll never forget it no matter how long i live.

     Now back to the story. It took days before we were out of the desert. By then we were out of power in the truck and it couldn’t take any more abuse. So just like that we were back to walking. We were all a bit depressed about two main problems. On, we lost something that was amazing to be in and to be in and drive. It was even funner to be in the back and feel the wind pass by you. Sometimes we would surf the truck in the back just for fun. We had so many great times with that truck that it felt wrong to just leave it behind but it would only slow us down. The second bad thing was how much we depended on that truck for storage. Though we slowly stopped that and packed smaller and smaller once we knew this was going to happen we still had a lot in the back. In the end we were able to take a lot with us but a lot was left behind. It was mostly stuff that was for trading for caps but that was the main way we ever got any of our caps. Needless to say we were bound to run out of caps even faster at that point than ever before. But in the end the caps weren’t even needed. One morning i woke up to the sound of a roaring engine like on the truck but this one loader. I had gotten off the hard ground to notice it. The noise was really a truck that was heavily armoured. It was bigger than ours and it even had a trailor but with holes in the sides with .50 cal machine guns  for shooting the runners. There was so much metal on it i couldn’t believe it even moved as fast as it did. As it got closer the others woke up and the the hell on wheels getting closer as well as faster. My heart raced as it got closer to us. I feared the large truck and i think i even froze not knowing what to do but wait to die. Duncan swiftly pulled his rifle out of it’s holster and handed Kaitlyn her pistol. 

    “Aim for the tires. That’s the only thing not armored.” He had told her. I was pushed out of the way by Kaitlyn as the thing got closer.  _ What was i going to do in a fight like that? _ I thought to myself as it kept getting closer. Eventually i took off my bag and got ammo ready to hand it to them and within seconds gun shots filled the air. It took one clip from Kaitlyn before one of the beast’s tires had popped the thing went swerving on the road. Then from Duncan’s second shot another one of the tire it had flipped. Sending the truck grinding on the hard road. The sparks from the vehicle ignited the air. It was scary to see the thing just about fly to us but it finally stopped not that far from where we were. Kaitlyn went in first while Duncan and i stayed  behind waiting for an all clear. When she got there and looked in the window she found the driver and passenger. 

    “Their Dead! It’s Clear!” She yelled at us. When i looked inside i saw how they died. It nearly made me puke. They were impaled by their own armour with spikes in it. From the flipping they we both 100% dead. Inside i saw a radio transmitter and it was on. I quickly pick up some of the debris and bashed the transmitter. I then ran over to the back where both Duncan and Kaitlyn were waiting for me. They slid open the door and immediately my eyes were covered. I was then moved away from the door and put to the side before my eyes were uncovered. 

    “Athia, you are to NEVER go in there or look in there. What is in there might scare you forever so please stay out here and keep watch okay?”

    “Okay but what should i do when i see something?”

    “Just say what you always say when something is there and we’ll come running outside.” I hear Duncan say before walking back to the trailer. I was just mostly sitting there bored because it was impossible to see this target. While sitting there i could hear only the faint sound of an engine in which i thought it was just from the truck close to us but it wasn’t. Once the sound stopped a truck just appeared out of nowhere right in front of the wreck of a truck. I saw on the sides it had stealth boys covering it to allow it to go invisible. 

    “Help!” I yelled but  they never made it fast enough. By the time they got to me i was knocked to the ground by one of the raiders. I couldn’t hear anything clearly and most things were blurry. I just sat there until i was hit again making everything go black. 

    When i finally came to i couldn’t see anything and my hands and legs were sore and bound. I could only hear silent whispers between people. I couldn’t tell what they were saying but i could hear were to things repeating, ‘Join us’ and ‘kill them’.  Once the bag was removed i was on the ground facing a throne made of pipes that pointed up and exhaled flames. In the chair was a little girl that looked around my age. She sat there and looked very bored at me. She held her head up with one hand and in the other she held a colt ready for killing. She wore boots, dirty and torn jeans, a brown bomber jacket with a white t-shirt.  I looked around and notice that no one else was in the room but her. I tried to move but i was tightly in place. She got up and walked over to me and when she got up the flames stopped. 

    “Welcome to my fortress. Thanks to you and your pals there i’m now the one in control of this place because you killed my dear old dad. How does it feel to be a murderer?” She said to me right in the face. 

    “I’m sorry.”

    “Hey now no need to feel sorry for old pop. He was a horrible leader and father.” She said as she knelt down to my height. 

    “I have a proposal for you. You join us and live or you don’t and die out in the plains. The choice is up to you. Also it’s rare anyone is spared here but you’ve earned it. Without you three i would have never been able to take control.” She said to me. She got up and took the blindfolds off the other two and poked them both with a stick until they woke up. 

    “So what’s your choice?”

    “We’ll join you i guess.”

    “Good choice. Most go ‘I’ll Never Join You!’ Or something dumb like that to when my dad’s gone and i’m in control but hey, it’s up to them. I wonder why so many do that.” She said as she walked behind me and cut the rope. Once my arms and legs were free i rubbed my wrists from the pain of have the rope on for so long and so tightly. The girl extended her hand out to me to help me up and i took it. That was the day i was turned into a raider, and my birthday. It was one hell of a present to get for my birthday. But for that choice i was given bad looks from  Kaitlyn and Duncan. They were the type that would say no i guess. She released both of them and once free Duncan did attempt to attack her but she pulled out the gun on him stopping him dead in his tracks. 

    “Now both of you out, i need to talk to her privately. Got down to the quarters master. He’ll get you two a bed.” She said as they both walked out with a look of defeat. They knew there was no point in fighting unarmed it would only end in their death. Once alone she handed me the gun. 

    “Shoot it.” She told me i hesitated and i didn’t know if it was a trap.

    “Just shoot it and not at me.” She told me and i did. I didn’t know the recoil of guns back then making the gun nearly fly out of my hands. I heard the two year older girl laughing as she saw my failure to shoot a gun properly.

    “Seems like i was right. You weren’t the one shooting at all. You don’t have the look of a killer only those two do. I could use you very well as a replacement for me from time to time. I’m considered a child in power especial since i’m only 13 so i’ll have a lot of enemies here on base.” She told me. IT was from that day onward she looked after me. She took me in and taught me a lot of what i know now. How to kill, how to hunt, how to make people listen you, and other things over the 2 years i was there. I was her right hand and even took her place from time to time but people knew the difference. It was an easy life there and with her in control she stopped all raids and random attacks. Hell even if someone tried to extort caps off anyone she’d get up their ass about it. If you were lucky you got to stay after something like that. Raiders do have souls and aspirations. They hide it but they do and don’t let anyone tell you their soulless beings without feels and people they care about. It’s just the ones without emotion that are to be feared.


	5. The Truth

    Poking is what woke me up most days due to the fact that that’s the way she woke up most people. I woke up two years after our greeting to see our leader Natalia. The sunlight was blinding in every morning so that never changed. The only thing different from me and the other two was i had a room of my own. They had to share a room with someone else but i don’t remember them all that well. I was consider the Pride of Natalia and her Right hand. I was just as good as her, well nearly. I never could beat her in any training fight we ever got in. she was always one step ahead of me and always had something new for me to learn and understand. Once i understood that move she would use something else new. From those fights alone i could say take up most scars i have now. We started with hands and evolved to guns and knives. She was a great teacher for me and i’m just happy with how patient she was with me. 

    “Come on get up it’s time to get up. I need you to get over here.” She told me. I got out of bed and put on some clothes and followed her out the door. I followed her until we were outside near the walls of our base and i saw that half the guards had been killed last night.

    “I think someone is weakening our defenses to attack us. From the looks of it they’re going to attack tonight. We’re going to need to bump up our defences tonight and i need you to be on guard for me. We’ve survived many attacks before but this one i know will be different.” She told me. I could tell she was scared for herself, and everyone. 

    “How do you know?”

    “The bodies. This is done with better stuff than we have. Everyone found was found with a bullet hole in what our doctor are saying the weakest part in the skull and sometimes in between the eyes. We’re dealing with a doctor of a sharpshooter so they know the weakest points to attack and which will break easiest. The even have guns we’ve never seen before. Stuff custom made for killing us. Do you remember the false attack on our base awhile back?”

    “Yeah, they killed a lot of us and injured Duncan in a sniper fight.”

    “This is thought to be that same person but now set to killing us all this time.” She told me. She was more scared than she ever was. For once she really showed fear. I agreed not knowing what i was doing. I thought maybe i could defend her and do something good around there other than just sit in a chair and listen to what people had to say and choose something. I was finally going to do something really useful. At first i was made to set up defences, look for weak spots, choose positions of people and give out jobs. It felt like forever for night to fall but by then we were dug in getting ready to make our last stand. Everyone was put in a good job and position ready to attack. The main entrance which was a large metal gate was blocked off for the night and all patrols were sent in to get ready. We waited all night for an attack but nothing happened. A group of us that consisted of me, Natalia, Duncan, Kaitlyn and 2 other sharp shooters were held up in a room with a view on the entrance. We stayed in that room all night cramped in one room having to watch two windows. We had stayed up until day but by then about half of us had passed out but no Natalia. I ended up falling asleep not knowing they were really just waiting to attack not knowing it was about to start.

    I awoke after the fighting and when i did wake up i saw  **her** . The killer was a woman wearing a lab coat carrying a assault rifle. She took the gun and started bashing in one of the people in the room’s head in. it took until most of the coat was covered in red for her to stop. She bash his head in so much one of his eyes came out to me. I could only see death in her eyes. She took a moment to breath and put in her glasses and looked down at me. 

    “So you’re awake? I could tell. Would you be a good girl and tell me who your leader is so i can kill them? The one that's been leading for many years here.”

    “My group killed him. He’s been dead for 2 years now.”

    “Oh. Who’s the new leader then?” She asked me. I lied to them and pointed at the next person i saw that was Natalia, Duncan, or Kaitlyn. Immediately they killed them with a knife to the head. I saw that Natalia was waking up and she saw what was happening. She slowly started to pull out her gun upon seeing what happened. 

    “Well that was easy. That was all i had to do just to kill the leader. I should have that sooner.” She said looking down at the body. I slowly got up and she eminently pointed her gun at me and was aiming down the sights. The laser on the gun was aimed right at my heart and she didn’t shoot. I didn’t know why she didn’t but she stood there. My heart was racing i didn’t know if i was going to die but i guess i lucked out. Natalia finally shot the woman in the knee but i was still hit. I was just lucky it didn’t hit one of my lungs and it just hit an empty spot. Natalia then hit the doctor in the back with the butt of the gun sending her falling to the floor. The woman coughed violently while on the ground. 

    “Now did you think i was going to die THAT easily? Athia are you ok?.”

    “I-i’m okay. I’ll be fine.”

    “You’re bleeding we need to move out and find one of the doctors.” She said to me with a bit of panic. I got back up and picked up the rifle the doctor was holding before she fell. Duncan and Kaitlyn were already awake from the gunshots.

    “We should get going more people are bound to be coming soon.”

    “I’ll grab, as much as i can.” i said between breaths. I grabbed my bag and started packing but i was stopped by Natalia who didn’t want me do anything but relax. Once done i followed the others out into the main area. All of our men were dead. No one had survived the attack. We ran for one of the trucks and Kaitlyn and Duncan got in the from while we ran into the trailer. We had grab as much food and water as we could carry and unloaded it into the back. We were already going before the back door was shut. They did try shooting the tires but thanks to Natalia’s improvements the truck survived the attacks. Once out i notice the front gate was blown off. I heard crying coming from behind me. I looked and saw Natalia on the ground, she had finally broken. 

    “Everything i’ve worked for, everything i’ve been defending for years destroyed so easily. I tried to stop it and it was all worth nothing. The only thing i have left is you.” She said with tears in her eyes. I wrapped her in my arms During the ride but i did pass out from how much blood i had lost. When i woke up again i was being held by her closely as she had cried herself into sleep. I when back to sleep in the warmth of her arms. Even if she couldn’t feel real pain she knew what emotional pain is. I just didn’t want to leave her. She was so alone and didn’t have anyone as close to her as me or even any of the people back there. 

    I finally woke up after a few hours but by then it was fully morning. I could hear muffled talking outside of the trailer. When i looked up i notice that Natalia was gone but she left her jacket with me. I looked at the entrance to the long trailer to notice that it was open. I slowly got up to fall back down again. With the first failure i just crawled to the entrance with Natalia’s jacket still on me. Once there I moved around until my legs dangled out the back. I then leaned on the metal wall looking out into the grass field. I could feel the cold air brushing against me as i sat there listening to the faint talking. It soon grew easier to understand until i could finally make out what they were saying.

    “Like i’ve been saying. She’s going to die without something to one, get rid of the bacteria, and two, stop the internal bleeding. If that’s not stopped she  **WILL** die.”

    “Don’t you have anything to treat this you’re meant to be a doctor here. We have the caps-”

    “You can’t just throw caps at something to fix it. What she has can’t be just fixed right away. She’s already on morphine to help her be able to do anything. At this rate she won't be able to do anything be sleep.”

    “Can you at least help us in some way doctor? At least point us in the right direction?” I could hear Natalia say. She returned to the back to see me just sitting there in the back just listening to what they were saying while looking off into land. 

    “Holy Shit! You’re so pale. Are you feeling alright? Hey come on talk to me here.” I could hear her say to me but i just couldn’t talk. I couldn’t move other than breathing and blinking. I could feel myself fading away. Soon everything slowed down and eventually stopped around me. I could feel anything. I was able to float around. I move out of the trailer and i did. I saw that Natalia had began to cry. I wiped her eyes and moved on outside of the trailer. I went over to the side to see Kaitlyn crying in Duncan’s arms. I never saw her cry until now. She would always tough things out alone or talk about it but could never cry. The day faded and quickly turned to night. The truck was gone and there i was alone. It was at that point where i was considered dead. I saw pass by a wandering traveler that walked the path we were driving. It was then that in a bring flash i was brought back. I saw before me people around me. Some i knew others i didn’t know. I saw the dead holding my opposite hand too. The people that was close to me that died over time from attacks or natural causes were the ones i saw then. I even saw The Elder there with them. But maybe that part was just an illusion. Everyone's eyes were closed and they were surrounding me. With my left hand i put it over all of the other hands.  The first to open their eyes was Natalia who then wrapped her arms around me. Everyone was happy that i had survived and i was really asleep for that time just on the edge of death. After how long i was sleep it was considered “normal” to see the dead. I was happy to be alive and relieved to see them all again but i still question that person that followed our trail. Personally i think it’s death slowly catching up to me as i travel. They are bound to catch up to me but until then i’ll just keep being me. 


	6. Death's Door

    Poking is what woke me up most days due to the fact that that’s the way she woke up most people. I woke up two years after our greeting to see our leader Natalia. The sunlight was blinding in every morning so that never changed. The only thing different from me and the other two was i had a room of my own. They had to share a room with someone else but i don’t remember them all that well. I was consider the Pride of Natalia and her Right hand. I was just as good as her, well nearly. I never could beat her in any training fight we ever got in. she was always one step ahead of me and always had something new for me to learn and understand. Once i understood that move she would use something else new. From those fights alone i could say take up most scars i have now. We started with hands and evolved to guns and knives. She was a great teacher for me and i’m just happy with how patient she was with me. 

    “Come on get up it’s time to get up. I need you to get over here.” She told me. I got out of bed and put on some clothes and followed her out the door. I followed her until we were outside near the walls of our base and i saw that half the guards had been killed last night.

    “I think someone is weakening our defenses to attack us. From the looks of it they’re going to attack tonight. We’re going to need to bump up our defences tonight and i need you to be on guard for me. We’ve survived many attacks before but this one i know will be different.” She told me. I could tell she was scared for herself, and everyone. 

    “How do you know?”

    “The bodies. This is done with better stuff than we have. Everyone found was found with a bullet hole in what our doctor are saying the weakest part in the skull and sometimes in between the eyes. We’re dealing with a doctor of a sharpshooter so they know the weakest points to attack and which will break easiest. The even have guns we’ve never seen before. Stuff custom made for killing us. Do you remember the false attack on our base awhile back?”

    “Yeah, they killed a lot of us and injured Duncan in a sniper fight.”

    “This is thought to be that same person but now set to killing us all this time.” She told me. She was more scared than she ever was. For once she really showed fear. I agreed not knowing what i was doing. I thought maybe i could defend her and do something good around there other than just sit in a chair and listen to what people had to say and choose something. I was finally going to do something really useful. At first i was made to set up defences, look for weak spots, choose positions of people and give out jobs. It felt like forever for night to fall but by then we were dug in getting ready to make our last stand. Everyone was put in a good job and position ready to attack. The main entrance which was a large metal gate was blocked off for the night and all patrols were sent in to get ready. We waited all night for an attack but nothing happened. A group of us that consisted of me, Natalia, Duncan, Kaitlyn and 2 other sharp shooters were held up in a room with a view on the entrance. We stayed in that room all night cramped in one room having to watch two windows. We had stayed up until day but by then about half of us had passed out but no Natalia. I ended up falling asleep not knowing they were really just waiting to attack not knowing it was about to start.

    I awoke after the fighting and when i did wake up i saw  **her** . The killer was a woman wearing a lab coat carrying a assault rifle. She took the gun and started bashing in one of the people in the room’s head in. it took until most of the coat was covered in red for her to stop. She bash his head in so much one of his eyes came out to me. I could only see death in her eyes. She took a moment to breath and put in her glasses and looked down at me. 

    “Zo you’re awake? I could tell. Vould you be a good girl and tell me who your leader is so i can kill zhem? zhe one zhat’s been leading for many years here.”

    “My group killed him. He’s been dead for 2 years now.”

    “Oh. Who’s the new leader then?” She asked me. I lied to them and pointed at the next person i saw that was Natalia, Duncan, or Kaitlyn. Immediately they killed them with a knife to the head. I saw that Natalia was waking up and she saw what was happening. She slowly started to pull out her gun upon seeing what happened. 

    “Well that was easy. That was all i had to do just to kill the leader. I should have that sooner.” She said looking down at the body. I slowly got up and she eminently pointed her gun at me and was aiming down the sights. The laser on the gun was aimed right at my heart and she didn’t shoot. I didn’t know why she didn’t but she stood there. My heart was racing i didn’t know if i was going to die but i guess i lucked out. Natalia finally shot the woman in the knee but i was still hit. I was just lucky it didn’t hit one of my lungs and it just hit an empty spot. Natalia then hit the doctor in the back with the butt of the gun sending her falling to the floor. The woman coughed violently while on the ground. 

    “Now did you think i was going to die THAT easily? Athia are you ok?.”

    “I-i’m okay. I’ll be fine.”

    “You’re bleeding we need to move out and find one of the doctors.” She said to me with a bit of panic. I got back up and picked up the rifle the doctor was holding before she fell. Duncan and Kaitlyn were already awake from the gunshots. 

    “We should get going more people are bound to be coming soon.”

    “I’ll grab, as much as i can.” i said between breaths. I grabbed my bag and started packing but i was stopped by Natalia who didn’t want me do anything but relax. Once done i followed the others out into the main area. All of our men were dead. No one had survived the attack. We ran for one of the trucks and Kaitlyn and Duncan got in the from while we ran into the trailer. We had grab as much food and water as we could carry and unloaded it into the back. We were already going before the back door was shut. They did try shooting the tires but thanks to Natalia’s improvements the truck survived the attacks. Once out i notice the front gate was blown off. I heard crying coming from behind me. I looked and saw Natalia on the ground, she had finally broken. 

    “Everything i’ve worked for, everything i’ve been defending for years destroyed so easily. I tried to stop it and it was all worth nothing. The only thing i have left is you.” She said with tears in her eyes. I wrapped her in my arms During the ride but i did pass out from how much blood i had lost. When i woke up again i was being held by her closely as she had cried herself into sleep. I when back to sleep in the warmth of her arms. Even if she couldn’t feel real pain she knew what emotional pain is. I just didn’t want to leave her. She was so alone and didn’t have anyone as close to her as me or even any of the people back there. 

    I finally woke up after a few hours but by then it was fully morning. I could hear muffled talking outside of the trailer. When i looked up i notice that Natalia was gone but she left her jacket with me. I looked at the entrance to the long trailer to notice that it was open. I slowly got up to fall back down again. With the first failure i just crawled to the entrance with Natalia’s jacket still on me. Once there I moved around until my legs dangled out the back. I then leaned on the metal wall looking out into the grass field. I could feel the cold air brushing against me as i sat there listening to the faint talking. It soon grew easier to understand until i could finally make out what they were saying.

    “Like i’ve been saying. She’s going to die without something to one, get rid of the bacteria, and two, stop the internal bleeding. If that’s not stopped she  **WILL** die.”

    “Don’t you have anything to treat this you’re meant to be a doctor here. We have the caps-”

    “You can’t just throw caps at something to fix it. What she has can’t be just fixed right away. She’s already on morphine to help her be able to do anything. At this rate she won't be able to do anything be sleep.”

    “Can you at least help us in some way doctor? At least point us in the right direction?” I could hear Natalia say. She returned to the back to see me just sitting there in the back just listening to what they were saying while looking off into land. 

    “Holy Shit! You’re so pale. Are you feeling alright? Hey come on talk to me here.” I could hear her say to me but i just couldn’t talk. I couldn’t move other than breathing and blinking. I could feel myself fading away. Soon everything slowed down and eventually stopped around me. I could feel anything. I was able to float around. I move out of the trailer and i did. I saw that Natalia had began to cry. I wiped her eyes and moved on outside of the trailer. I went over to the side to see Kaitlyn crying in Duncan’s arms. I never saw her cry until now. She would always tough things out alone or talk about it but could never cry. The day faded and quickly turned to night. The truck was gone and there i was alone. It was at that point where i was considered dead. I saw pass by a wandering traveler that walked the path we were driving. It was then that in a bring flash i was brought back. I saw before me people around me. Some i knew others i didn’t know. I saw the dead holding my opposite hand too. The people that was close to me that died over time from attacks or natural causes were the ones i saw then. I even saw The Elder there with them. But maybe that part was just an illusion. Everyone's eyes were closed and they were surrounding me. With my left hand i put it over all of the other hands. The first to open their eyes was Natalia who then wrapped her arms around me. Everyone was happy that i had survived and i was really asleep for that time just on the edge of death. After how long i was sleep it was considered “normal” to see the dead. I was happy to be alive and relieved to see them all again but i still question that person that followed our trail. Personally i think it’s death slowly catching up to me as i travel. They are bound to catch up to me but until then i’ll just keep being me. 


End file.
